Some of my ancestors were #Wôlinak !
With a home-cooked banquet, #Abenaki citizens taste traditional foods and preserve culture
Vermont Public | By Elodie Reed
Published May 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT
Excerpts:
"Yves is a 72-year-old Abenaki citizen of Wôlinak #FirstNation. That reserve is located about a 45-minute drive northeast of the #Odanak reserve, along the St. Lawrence River.
"And it’s the area where Yves, his son and other folks went geese hunting this spring.
" 'We got some 60 or something like that,' Yves said.
"He has been hunting geese since he was young.
"But he said the places he used to go with his dad and uncles — a couple lakes just outside of the Wôlinak reserve — are no longer accessible. The #Quebec government put the lakes inside an ecological zone in the '90s.
" 'They didn't consult the Abenaki in Wôlinak,' Yves said. 'Today, they could not do this.'
[...]
"Isaak added: 'The point of the project is trying — trying the recipes.'
"Trying recipes such as: a lemonade made from #sumac flowers.
"Isaak put the crimson cones in a pot of boiling water. And when he dipped in a spoon several minutes later, he was pleasantly surprised by the taste.
" 'It’s actually kind of good,' he said. 'Damn! I'm happy.' "
#IndigenousPeoplesDay #TraditionalFoods #NativeAmericanFoods #FirstNations #CulturalPreservation #AnimalProducts #Hunting